A few days since his talk with Kakashi many things had happened the most important of these events was that Naruko had agreed to be trained by the toads. He sat outside his home under the large tree, "Kurama," he turned to see Sakura, Sasuke and Shion walking towards him. His eyes focused on Sasuke who looked to be studying him.
"Hello," Kurama said greeting them with a kind smile, "what do I owe this pleasure to?"
"Kurama this is Shion," Sakura said indicating the blond next to her, "she wanted to see the village."
"Welcome Shion to my humble abode," he said getting to his feet.
As Shion's eyes fell on his home she saw a few Shinobi around her age entering the empty house, "I saw…"
"Fate is something that most believe you are born with, but personally, I think that we forge our own destiny," Kurama said before she finished speaking, "wouldn't you agree?"
"It is hard to agree with the things that I have seen," Shion replied.
"Everyone has the power to change their fate, but only if you believe you can…who knows maybe one day you will see that for yourself," Kurama said placing a hand on her shoulder, "Sasuke let's take a walk."
Sakura looked a little confused Sasuke frowned slightly wondering what he could possibly want to talk to him about, "you two can make yourselves at home while we are out, we shouldn't be gone too long."
Sasuke followed a few feet back of Kurama, "Sasuke what do you fight for?"
"What," Sasuke asked his eyes fixed on the back of Kurama's head as they continued to walk.
"Why do you do what you do? I was under the impression that this was all to kill your brother?"
"It is," Sasuke said coolly.
"Then why continue to fight there has to be more to it than revenge," Kurama said stopping and so did Sasuke.
"I might have killed Itachi but Madara is still out there and I will kill him," Sasuke replied.
"That isn't why you fight," Kurama said turning to face Sasuke, Kurama had no trace of his usual smile on his face, his eyes cold calculating like a seasoned Shinobi, "you can lie to yourself but not to me. I can see into your heart. The darkness has started to lift ever since your return to this village. But I will humor you, after you exact your revenge then what? What is there for you? Living a life of hate breads only more hate more pain creating more people like us."
"Us…" Sasuke repeated the word a frown cross his brow as he glared at the man before him.
"Look at me and my slip of the tongue," she said smiling, but Sasuke didn't think it was a slip of the tongue, "the point being is fighting for vengeance will get you nowhere, and if the only reason you are here is to get revenge on those who have wronged you," he pulled out a kunai and threw it at Sasuke's feet, "take it and do the world a favor and just kill yourself. It will make the world a better place…but if it isn't, if there is more to it, if there is something more keeping you going allow me give you the power to protect what is important to you. What will it be Sasuke, the choice is yours?"
Sasuke just looked down at the blade at his feet, "when you are ready you know where I am but don't wait too long," Kurama said placing his hand on Sasuke's shoulder as he passed him on his way back to his home.
"Where is Sasuke?" Sakura asked upon his arrival.
"He is doing some soul searching," Kurama said smiling.
"I guess we have imposed long enough," Sakura said trying to smile but there were so many things that didn't seem right.
In Kumogakure Izuna made his way to A's office along with two cloaked figures one was a little shorter than he was while the other towered over the pair of them. Izuna knocked on the door, "who is there?" a gruff voice called out.
"Doesn't the Raikage have time for an old friend?" Izuna asked as he pushed the door open, A frowned at the sight of him.
"You," the Raikage growled as Izuna stepped into the room.
"It is nice to see you again too," Izuna said nonchalantly.
"So you do know each other," the taller man said coolly.
"How…" A asked frowning at the taller man whose face was covered in shadow.
"I was the one sent to deal with the Hyuga incident; it was a rather nasty affair. You ordered the head of the Hyuga's head for the murder of one of your Shinobi, but he kindly reconsidered," Izuna said ignoring the outburst from the Raikage.
"Only after Madara threat to wipe out my village if I pursued the matter any further," A said with a scowl.
"No you misunderstood me, I said that the powers of Madara would be unleashed on your village, whether or not your village would have been wiped out is still unknown and it wouldn't have been Madara who did the unleashing," Izuna said as if it made everything better.
"The point remains you threatened this village in the name of Konohagakure!" A shouted as he got to his feet.
"And there again you are mistaking, we threatened you in the name of peace, the same reason we saw fit to ride the world of most of the Uchiha clan along with members of the Akatsuki," Izuna answered.
"Why are you here now?" A asked wondering if it would be worth it fighting or just to hear him out.
"When the time comes you will call a summit of the five Kages to deal with the last of the Akatsuki," Izuna replied.
"Is that necessary, thanks to you and whoever you are working for the Akatsuki are on their last leg," the Raikage said trying to see who the seconded hooded figure was.
"An animal backed in the corner is more dangerous."
"And if I refuse to call this summit?"
"You won't, because those of the Akatsuki that remain are far more dangerous than you could have ever imagined and only by working together can you hope to bring this war to an end with a favorable outcome," Izuna said turning to leave, the two at his side followed suit, "when the time is right word will be sent, my master appreciates your continuous cooperation."
A glared at the man wondering who the hell he was really dealing with, a rumor had reached him that a man with the power to take on all three legendary Sannin resided in Uzushiogakure, if that was true and it was the man he was dealing with refusing wasn't an option.
That night Sasuke made his way back to Kurama's place he was surprise to see the blond enigma sitting outside under the tree he had been sitting under earlier, "you were expecting me."
"Hai, but you did come a little earlier than I thought that you would, considering what happened last time the promise of power was dangled before you," Kurama said his gaze shifting to the young Uchiha, "I guess the question is now…what is the reason that you seek power this time?"
"Why don't you know," Sasuke asked smirking.
"Hai, I do. I just want to hear you say it," Kurama said returning the smirk.
"To protect her," Sasuke whispered.
"Good boy, now down to business. You are aware of the side effect of those Mangekyo Sharingan?" Sasuke frowned, "what are you surprised that I know…information is power and those who hold it, hold the power."
"So are you going to tell me something and say I have power to protect those important to me?" Sasuke asked scowling at him.
"Cleaver, but no," Kurama said smiling.
"It causes the user to lose their eyesight," Sasuke answered.
"Very good, and I have a way for you to keep the power of your eyes and your eyesight, is that enough power for you?" Kurama asked smiling.
"And how do you plan on doing this you would need…" Sasuke frowned, "how?"
"That is neither here nor there, do you want the power or not it is that simple?"
"It isn't that simple," Sasuke retorted.
"You don't see the bigger picture, you have many useful skills but you are limited by those same powers. A war is coming there is no avoiding it and the way you are you will become a hindrances to those you fight alongside, your sight started failing you the moment you activated those eyes and the more you use them the less useful they become."
"Very well," Sasuke said knowing as much as he didn't like the idea he had no choice. Then something dawned on him, "that is why Itachi's body was missing you got a hold of it somehow."
"I have sneaky friends…goodnight Uchiha," Kurama said as he made a hand sign and before Sasuke could react he was out. Kurama picked up Sasuke and took him into his house down into the basement that looked more like a lab than a basement. Then Kurama cut his thumb before placing it on the ground and standing before him was a hooded figure.
"It is time Itachi," Kurama said as Itachi lowered his hood, "please lay down so we can get started."
When the operation was done the sun was nearly up, and once again Kurama cut his thumb and appearing before him was his hawk, "Izuna take Itachi back to the hide out and keep him there until he has fully recovered."
The Hawk tilted his head to the side, "Sasuke will be fine, he will wake when his body has finished healing…I can't have him trying to fight Nagato in his current condition," the hawk hoped onto Itachi and vanished in a cloud of smoke and both the bird and Itachi were gone. Kurama walked out of the base and place a seal on the door.
A few hours later he heard a knocking at the door, he opened it and Sakura was standing there looking slightly worried.
"Hello, Sakura-Chan what can I do for you?"
"No one has seen Sasuke we were wondering if you had seen or heard from him," Sakura said.
"When I see him I will let him know you were looking for him."
"Okay…" she said as he closed the door. She knew something wasn't right she ran to find Kakashi-Sensei, she found him reading his book as he strolled thru the village.
"Kakashi-Sensei," Sakura called after him.
"Yo…am I late for something?" he asked looking up from his book at his pink haired student.
"No…it's about this guy…his name is Kurama," she started not sure if he had met Naruko's friend yet or not.
"He is an interesting guy," Kakashi said looking back down at his book, "what about him?"
"I think he knows where Sasuke is."
"I am sure he knows a lot of things."
"Sasuke has been missing ever since we visited him yesterday."
"I am sure you are worrying over nothing," Kakashi said but he could even convince himself of what he was saying, and apparently Sakura wasn't buying it either. But Kakashi was a lot more worried than Sakura realized, if they were right and Kurama was a spy for Madara Sasuke could be in grave danger, and with his skills a complete mystery to them he could easily have the skill necessary to deal with Sasuke. But there was a second explanation Sasuke left the village again, either way he would have to alert ANBU to keep an eye open.
Over the next couple of days no one had seen or heard from Sasuke not even his team, but to the dismay of the younger Shinobi, Sasuke was not the top priority the leader of the Akatsuki Pain was. And none of them realized how close the threat was. Standing outside the village was seven cloaked figures six had orange hair while the last had blue. At their feet were the corpses of Konoha Shinobi that where standing guard.
"Now we are going to split up, one group will act as a diversion and the other will do reconnaissance. Let's make sure we've got it sorted. Diversionary squad will be Asura Path, Animal Path, and Preta Path. Reconnaissance will be Deva Path, Human Path, and Naraka Path. Konan you know you are also on reconnaissance as well.
"I know," the blue haired girl named Konan replied.
"There is a special barrier protecting the village from all sides even from above," Deva Path said.
"All intruders will be sensed immediately," Konan stated, "Itachi and Kisame got in without being noticed."
"But Itachi was a Member of ANBU he knew how to get in without setting off the barrier off. So we will do this as planned we will launch Animal Path over the village, then we will await for Animal Paths summons so that way they will miscalculate our numbers."
Inside the village, the Pain Rikudo appeared in the village they all went off in different directions causing wide spread destruction. Kakashi saw this and knew what he had to do vanishing in a puff of smoke. He reappeared at Kurama's home. Kakashi was surprised to see the blond sitting so calmly outside his home eating a bowl of ramen.
"Kurama…"
"I am aware, and no, this is not my fight," Kurama said nonchalantly.
"I can't believe you," Kakashi said frowning.
"Don't you have somewhere you should be?" Kakashi frowned before vanishing again.
"How long are you going to sit this one out?" he heard Izuna asked stepping forward, "do not act as if you are not going to, one form or another you are going to put an end to this."
"Maybe you are right…but now it is not the time," Kurama said finishing his bowl of ramen before getting to his feet, "Go to Kumogakure and tell them it is time."
Izuna vanished and Kurama started to head towards the chaos of the village. He vanished silently into the air appearing on Hokage Monument. He watched as Konoha's forces where being demolished by Pain.
In the Hokage tower Minato was preparing to enter the fray himself Kushina was begging her husband not to go, "so who told you?" Minato asked smiling at his wife.
"Kakashi-San," she said drying the tears from her eyes.
"I wish there was another way but I have to do this. It is my job as Hokage to protect this village from harm and if that means I have to die in order to do that then so be it," he said pulling his wife into his embrace, "I love you and Naruko dearly."
"Please don't leave us," Kushina whispered.
"I have to," Minato said walking out of his off and he was instantly surrounded by his ANBU as they made their way to the roof, "I want you guys to go find and protect Tsunade-Hime we need her to tend to the injured and only have to worry the injured."
"Hai," they said in unison. Minato turned to see one of the Pains landing before him a man with medium length orange hair.
"It seems you were expecting us, but it doesn't matter we will get what we came for," Deva said coolly.
"No you won't, I will see to it personally," Minato replied.
"And you will go the same way as our dear Sensei did," Deva said in the same cool tone, Minato wondered how he didn't know this little bit of information with all that he had been able to gather this little bit slipped to the way side, "but I heard you are stronger than our late Sensei the question is how much stronger?"
Kurama appeared outside his home slowly make his way inside, he stopped in front of his basement door and removed the seal before causally making his way down the stairs, "can you hear it Sasuke?"
"Where am I?" Sasuke asked sitting up.
"You are in my basement where you have been since your operation, and since you are awake that means you are fully healed," Kurama said nonchalantly. In the silence Sasuke heard something, it sound like an explosion the earth began to shake.
"What the hell is going on?" Sasuke snapped.
"War…it has started and it will only get worse from here," Kurama said coolly.
"Why are we in here if people are dying?" Sasuke shouted getting to his feet pointing towards the sounds.
"Because there is no reason for me to fight," Kurama answered, "and if you go you will die, there are only two people in this village that has a chance against Minato and Naruko."
"The rest?" Sasuke asked softly.
"If they stand between Pain and what he wants…they will die," Kurama answered.
"I never took you as a coward," Sasuke said removing his bandages. His eyes black as coal quickly change they were still black but now they had an enteric red design running thru them.
"Do you know who Pain is?"Kurama asked.
"I don't care?"
"You should, you want to run into battle with an opponent you know nothing about that is the quickest way to get yourself killed…but you are in such a rush to fight him I will not stop you go," without another word Sasuke started up the stairs and out the door but the second he made it outside he was blasted off his feet a large cloud of dust was kicked up and when the smoke cleared Sasuke saw the village was gone, "this is the power of Pain the power of the Sanninme no Rikudo."
Sasuke turned to see Kurama standing there looking unfazed by the scene before him, Sasuke got back to his feet, "you still don't get it."
"Hatred is what got us into this mess in the first place, the hatred Pain has for Konoha and the other Villages is what drove him to this and this hate only causes more hate more pain creating more Pains," Kurama said his eyes fixed on the center of Konoha.
"Then what do would you have me do let him get away with this!" Sasuke shouted indicating the village before him.
"No you fight to protect, you kill to preserve life. You kill for revenge what is to stop someone else from killing you out of revenge then your friends kill them out of revenge and someone kills them and the cycle is never ending until someone realizes there is another way."
In Konoha there was an explosion of smoke and a ground of toads appeared with a girl with red hair her eyes were yellow with horizontal rectangle pupils her eyes had orange around them, "I thought we were going back to Konoha?" Naruko asked.
"We are," Fukasaku said pointing at the Hokage monument, the only standing structure.
"What happened?" Naruko asked looking around horrified. It was then she saw her father getting ready to fight the six Pains.
"No…" she said jumping down run to her father's side.
"Naruko get out of here," Minato said coolly.
"I won't, I know what will happen if you fight him!" Naruko said Minato turned to look at his daughter, "I won't let you die here."
"Then you also should know everyone else who fights him will die," Minato said turning back to face.
"I am sorry," she whispered Minato started to turn to face his daughter but she struck him in the back of the neck using a Jutsu that Tsunade had thought her, "Gamakichi…take my father to safety." The orange toad did as he was asked, and she stood facing the man who thought himself Kami.
Sasuke start for the battle field but he was grabbed by the wrist, "no…this is not your fight."
Naruko charged Pain while Animal path summoned a rhino. She grabbed the charging rhino by the horn and tossed it into the air, but once she had dealt with the rhino she had two more summonings to deal with but luckily for her she had her own to aid her in this battle. Gamahiro and Gamaken met the beasts summoned by Pain head on while Naruko created two clones that struck them with Senpo: Odama Rasengan. The real Naruko continued forward she went to land a punch on Preta path but he dodged it or so he thought, Naruko's Sage energy landed a deadly blow. But the victory of taking one out was short live as she dodged a dive bomb by a bird that Pain had summoned.
"How many summonings do they have?" Naruko asked herself, as she landed on the ground but again she was forced to reacting as missiles had been launched and were now following her, she created a large Rasengan. Her Jutsu blocked the missiles but the impact caused a rather large explosion.
Naruko was blasted back she tumbled back but before she could get up she had been hosted into the air and all her Chakra was being drained from her body, 'I thought I destroyed the one that consumed chakra,' she thought to herself.
Back with Sasuke and Kurama, "I have one more thing to ask of you," Kurama said coolly. Sasuke didn't say anything he just looked at Kurama thru the corner of his eye, "when we go down their get them all out of there."
"What about Pain?" Sasuke asked.
"I will deal with him."
"I thought you said Naruko had the power to stop him," Sasuke said frowning.
"She does," Kurama replied, "the real Pain is over there," he said pointing in the direction Pain was hiding. But his eyes never left the battle Naruko had been dropped as Hinata had entered the battle. She was not standing in front of Naruko while she gathered herself.
"You should be able to lead her there with those new eyes of yours."
"This was the plan from the beginning," Sasuke said coolly.
"Maybe it was who really knows. Are you ready?" Sasuke nodded and the two were gone.
Hinata who was trying to protect Naruko was being pulled by Deva Path's Jutsu towards Asura Path's blade, "Hinata!" Naruko cried out as the blade ripped thru her. But in a cloud of smoke Hinata was replaced by log. Naruko turned to see Kurama holding Hinata and Sasuke standing by his side.
"Kurama-Kun," Hinata said in surprise.
"Sasuke," Kurama said as he put Hinata down on her feet Sasuke nodded.
"Naruko, Hinata come with me," Sasuke said coolly.
"Teme, can't you see that I am in the middle of a fight?"
"This is no longer your fight," Kurama said.
"Then who…" then she realized what was going to happen, "no you can't!"
"Whatever happens here today don't hate him, it will not bring you any comfort. Hatred is the key to our own destruction…Sasuke get them out of here," his voice was softer than any of them had ever heard is scared them more than anything they had seen so far.
"You don't have to do this alone," Sasuke said coolly.
"I am not alone, I am never alone I have my friends and my family with me in there sacrifice," Kurama said. Sasuke grabbed the two girls and dragged them off towards the others. Minato was coming too and he was surrounded by Kushina, Tsunade the rookie nine and a few higher level Shinobi.
"What is going on?" Sakura asked.
"Kurama-Kun is going to fight," Hinata said softly.
"We can't let him do that, not alone anyway," Kiba said getting to his feet.
"No," it was Sasuke who spoke.
"Who made you boss?" Kiba snapped.
"It is his wish to do this alone."
Back at the battle field, Kurama stood facing his foes his expression unreadable. He closed his eyes before he took a deep breath, 'Kirigakure no Jutsu,' a thick fog started to roll in.
"Genius," Minato said watching as the thick mist consumed all.
"It is a simple Jutsu, how is it genius?" Kiba asked.
"He has shared sight, but the mist minimizing that effect," Minato answered.
"But he is still out numbered six to one," Shikamaru said.
Kurama place his hand on the ground and explosive tags raced towards the Pains. There was a large explosion five of the pains escaped with only minor injuries but one had been killed in the blast Naraka Path had been destroyed.
"That worked out well wouldn't you say?" he said watching the Pains.
"Naraka was your target so you know our powers," Deva said.
"Hai, and on top of that I know the weakness to each of your Jutsu."
"That is why you used Kirigakure no Jutsu first."
"Right again," Kurama said smiling he glanced away from the five Pains in front of him to see three people standing a good ways away. He closed his eyes, "it looks like our end has arrived.
"Our…" Deva repeated.
"A true master of the Rinnegan can perform Jutsu that seem unnatural, power that only Kami would possess," Kurama said coolly he placed to the ground and before Pain realized what happen none of them could move, "this is a Kekkai Ninjutsu of my own design, a very power just borrowed from the Nara's Kagamane no Jutsu, and as long as I stay like this none of you can move."
"What a useless Jutsu, you cannot attack us while using it," Deva said.
"This is a stalling Jutsu, I told you this was the end for us and I meant it," it was then Pain noticed the meteorite heading towards them. The Konoha Shinobi also noticed this, and they say a Susanoo off in the distance.
"He is going to kill his own man," Minato said frowning.
"What are you talking about?" Naruko asked looking horrified.
"So you think he is working with him?" Kushina asked softly Minato nodded, "I thought so too once I learned his name."
"That is how he had Itachi's body because the other guy was also working with Madara," Sasuke said coolly. None of the rookie nine knew what to say they, "Naruko let's go."
"Are we going to save Kurama?"
"No, we are going to finish what he started. We are going to take out the real Pain."
"You know where he is?" Minato asked.
"I know the area he is in and I have a way to find him, it was then they all noticed his new eyes," Sasuke said. Naruko had a steely resolve in her eye and she nodded and off they went racing towards Pain.
Naruko glanced over at Kurama, one last time who was smiling a real smile. He vanished from sight. After a few moments she stopped and turned to see the meteor crash, "no," was all she could say.